INTERVIEW GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO
PHILIP SHORT, FOR THE BBC RADIO 4 "TODAY" PROGRAMME
TO BE BROADCAST ON 1 OCTOBER.
SUBJECT: CHINA
Philip Short: Foreign Secretary, over the last two years China has opened up in a way which was inconceivable a decade
ago. What consequences does that hold for us in Britain?
K
Lord Carrington: Well, I suppose the most important
consequences that when you look back on the time when China
was closed
we were all very worried at the isolation of Chin.
and one should greatly welcome, we do greatly welcome the fact that China has opened up. And that gives us opportunities obviously in the international field, the security field,
the political field, and in the commercial and cultural field.
I think we are pretty well placed to take advantage, of all tho:
If you have got a market of a thousand million people who standard of life is increasing there is a great opportunity
for British business, if it takes the time and trouble.
Of course there is time and trouble involved, as you yourself
must know from your own experience, but I think the opportunity
is there. I think we would be making a great mistake if we
didnt take advantage of it.
PS:
What about some of your controversial areas
of what you have just been talking about: foreign trade: the Harrier.
If the commercial negotiations are finished
successfully, will there be any problem in getting government
approval for it?
LC:
No, at the moment we are negotiating about
a number of things with the Chinese, and the Harrier is one
of them. I think it would be a mistake to single out the
Harrier as the one particular thing that either our predecessor
in government or we wish to sell, its all part of a much
Larger package of economic goods which we want, and economic
affairs which we want to deal with with the Chinese.
But I